PTCL Starts 7 to 8 Digit Migration for Lahore and Karachi

Yesterday evening, (around 10:30 PM) few fellows from Karachi reported that when they call from landline numbers to Mobile Phones, their CLIs display 0213 code instead of regular 021.When asked from PTCL, they were ignorant of any such thing, however, a fellow member at TGP confirmed that PTCL is undergoing 7 to 8 digit Migration as per PTA’s directions.

This fellow shared an Email there, which is given below as it is

Source :  NOC Switching, Islamabad

Respected All,

As per PTA determination PTCL has to migrate from 7 digits telephone number length to 8 digits in Lahore and Karachi with effect from May 1st 2009. In this regard procedures have been prepared by this office which is to be carried out by PTCL Business and Switching Core Regions in the following platforms:

1.      EWSD (NSN) LXs
2.      E10-B (APL) LXs
3.      AXE-10 (ERICSSON) LXs
4.      ZXJ-10 (ZTE) LXs
5.      C&C08 PRI Exchanges in Lahore and Karachi.
6.      WLL MSCs, HLRs in Karachi, Lahore and Hyderabad.
7.      WIN (In SCPs, AAA, DACP and SMP servers).
8.      FIN (In SMP, SCP and other related servers).
9.      MM&BB servers for Narrowband and Broadband services.
10.     VMS Platform.
11.     C4 NGN (Huawei)
12.     C5 NGN (Huawei).
13.     C5 NGN (ZTE). Gulshan-e-Hadeed.
14.     All Transits and IGEs.

Following actions must be taken care of before the said implementation:

1.      The routing of new codes shall be ensured in every DTE/HCTE/CX/SSP/
IGE/POIs. The necessary instructions in this regard has already been
issued last week. Verify gently.

2.      Procedures must be read carefully before implementation.

3.      For WLL subscribers in Lahore and Karachi simultaneous changes will
be required in WLL MSC, HLR and WIN. Four MSCs i.e. Karachi,
Hyderabad, Cantt Lahore and Edgerton Road Lahore will require
necessary changes.

4.      The necessary changes in WIN Lahore was a complicated task and Al-
HAMDULLILAH has been acheived with the help of Mr Atiq Mumtaz SE IN
Operations Islamabad. As the said task is complicated therefore it has
been decided by Operations that Mr Atiq Mumtaz shall be present on
site atleast for initial changes which will be carried out in
batches.

The said changes in WLL MSC and WIN will start between the night of
April 26th and 27th after 0100 hrs at night. The said changes will be
completed by May 1st 2009. Mr Atiq Mumtaz SE IN Operations shall be
deputed to WIN Lahore on the morning of 26th of April 2009 for the
said implementation.

5.      Necessary Back ups shall be prepared in advance so that in case of
any issue the whole database shall be reverted back. However any help
in implementation shall be acquired from the name of rthe persons
mentioned in each procedure.

6.      Necessary changes in VMS platform shall be carried out by GM
Switching Core Islamabad as already intimated earlier.

7.      Necessary changes in MM&BB shall be carried out by respective GM
MM&BB Operations as already intimated earlier.

8.      Changes at FIN will be carried out by IN Operations Islamabad.

9.      Changes of the PBX/PRI of the Armed Forces will not be changed
under this implementation.

10.     Changes required for existing 8 digits PBX/PRI of Private
Companies will be intimated later on by next Monday by PTA.

11.     Changes at C5 Huawei (dEv project) shall be taken care off by GM
(Dev) Switching Islamabad.

12.     In OFAN Huawei the change is not required if the L3 adress is not
changed. The same may be confirmed from ZTE OFAN. However its
procedure is attached above.

13.     The said changes may please be carried out any time on April 30th
2009 so that parallel run shall start from May 1st 2009.

14.     Test calls be made to verify the changes into effect.

15.      PRS backend numbers shall be left over as it is.

16.     Any other requirement or Deficiency shall be intimated at your
earliest so that the issues can be addressed before implementation.

Update: Following story got published in Daily Times on May 16, 2009

Pakistan Telecom-munication Company Limited (PTCL) will increase a digit ‘3’ in its numbers of Karachi and Lahore to enhance its capacity to widen subscribers’ network.

The biggest Fixed Local Loop (FLL) of the country will implement its eight-digit numbers migration plan from the next month as per guidelines of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) issued in National Numbering Plan (NNP).

Official sources informed that the plan would increase the capacity of the system by an estimated 10 million, which is enough till 2050.

In this regard, the internal testing its underway throughout the network of the PTCL in the two metropolis of the country, they said and added the PTCL will implement this plan further to other cities after result of this new project.

As per new system, the Karachi and Lahore Numbers are migrated from 7 to 8 digits. Old and new numbers will continue to be operational till June 30, after which only 8 digit numbers can be dialed. There is no change in the area code.

NNP and growing demand for numbers aims to meet the objective of creating a numbering framework which acts as a growth engine for the telecom sector in the country.

The plan is intended to fuel the growth of competitive telecommunications services in Pakistan and prepare ground for the introduction of IP based services in the sector. Last year cellular mobile phone companies had been allotted their codes with the change of digits from seven to eight numbers, which has tremendously facilitated operators for widening the subscriber base.

However, officials said that management is not ready to kick-off this plan as they suggested reactivation of closed connections for the new subscribers in order to save the cost. The numbers of PTCL landline subscribers have been declining all over the country. The company has 4.59 million subscribers in December 2007 as compared with 3.58 million by the end of December 2008, as per PTA report.